Nepal Votes To Elect New Government Today, First Since Gen-Z Protests
The election is seen as a test for Nepal's Old Guard who ruled Himalayan kingdom for over a decade.
Nepal Election 2026: Nepal's election have been triggered by Gen Z-led protests.
Here are the top 10 points in this story:
- The election is seen as a test for Nepal's Old Guard who ruled Himalayan kingdom for over a decade: Sher Bahadur Deuba of Nepali Congress, KP Sharma Oli of the communist Party CPN-UML and Pushpa Kamal Dahal of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) or CPN (MC).
- With the Nepali people feeling let down by their leaders -- a sentiment that led to last year's protests -- these leaders are facing the toughest challenge of their lives.
- Adding to the challenge are multiple young leaders including the Rastriya Swatantra Party's Rabi Lamichhane, a former media personality and popular youth leader.
- KP Sharma Oli, 74, who was ousted as prime minister last year, has been challenged in his home constituency -- eastern Nepal's Jhapa-5 --- by RSP's Balendra Shah.
- Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician and former Kathmandu Mayor, has cast himself as a symbol of youth-driven political change.
- Also in the race for the top job is 49-year-old Gagan Thapa, the new head of the country's oldest party, Nepali Congress. He is contesting from Sarlahi-4 in southern Nepal.
- Sushila Karki, the interim prime minister, has urged people to vote "without any fear".
- The preparations for the election are complete, including flying election materials to snowbound areas of Nepal, home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest.
- The voters will elect 275 members of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament -- 165 of them directly through the first past the post system, with a further 110 through proportional representation.
- It could take several days for full results to come. It could take longer if negotiations for a coalition government prove tricky.
